Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of hazardous waste under RCRA?

The classification of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is defined by certain characteristics that indicate whether a waste poses a threat to human health or the environment. The characteristics include ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. Ignitability refers to the waste's ability to catch fire easily, while corrosivity refers to the ability of a waste to corrode materials, and reactivity indicates how the waste can react dangerously under certain conditions.

In contrast, biodegradability is not a criterion used under RCRA to classify hazardous waste. Although biodegradability is an important environmental consideration—pertaining to how quickly and effectively a substance breaks down in the environment—it does not directly relate to safety or hazardous characteristics as defined by RCRA.

Thus, the correct identification of biodegradability as not being a characteristic of hazardous waste helps to clarify the focus of RCRA on potential harms related to the chemical and physical properties of waste materials, rather than their biological decay.